I had my rear main seal replaced and it isn't leaking oil that I can see, but it still has that burnt oil smell. the mechanic said it is from the left over oil still on the car from the repair. When will this go away?

Hello Sarah, That answer would depend on how much oil is still on the car. What you are smelling is the oil burning off of the exhaust pipes. The more you drive it the less it will smell. I think it should clear up within a month.

6 Suggested Answers

Hi,
a 6ya expert can help you resolve that issue over the phone in a minute or two.
best thing about this new service is that you are never placed on hold and get to talk to real repairmen in the US.
the service is completely free and covers almost anything you can think of (from cars to computers, handyman, and even drones).
click here to download the app (for users in the US for now) and get all the help you need.goodluck!

To replace the seal, the mechanic will have to either lift the engine or lower the transmission. You will get much better pricing going to a transmission shop (e.g. AAMCO) and getting a quote from them to replace the seal.

Hello, it's not "easy" but, it's doable.
You'll need to follow the instructions and don't take shortcuts. ask for help if you need it.
Use this link to get an idea of what is involved. Ignore the "remove transmission" part. It can be done without removing the tranny. If you decide to do this buy a service manual to help you. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
Here is the link:
http://www.autozone.com/shopping/repairGuide.htm?pageId=0900c152801caf2a

In order to replace the rear main seal u have to pull the transmission out to access it, u will need a special seal installer tool to install the new rear main "full circle seal", it u don't use the special ford tool the seal will leak again, also if there is a groove worn ion the crankshaft the crank must be repaired or replaced or the or the seal will leak again, so this is avery diff job, a 9 on the scale of 1-10 with 10 being the mos difficult.

Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.

Attachments: Added items

Related Questions:

I bought a 2000 RL used, with some factory warranty remaining, and then bought an extended warranty. While hnder warranty, car began to smell up my garage from fumes from oil dripping onto hot exhaust. Not enough oil at that point to show up on garage floor. Complained to dealer about the odor but Acura Master Mechanic (said he) couldn't find source of odor (although I told him I suspected an oil leak because I had prior experience with oil leaks and resultant smells on another car). On the next service visit after the extended warranty expired, same master mechanic said my RL's rear main oil seal was leaking onto exhaust causing odor. And the dealer wanted north of $1000 to fix it. I declined. Leak has steadily gotten worse - now visible drops on garage floor. An independent repair shop quoted $650 plus the cost of replacing expensive, special Honda transmission fluid. Took my complaint all the way up the chain to the head of Honda in Japan, but got no assistance. No more Honda products for me.

This could be the rear main seal on the crank shaft that is leaking, clean around all the areas completely to isolate the leak. There are some oil additives available at your parts store that work to cause swelling of the seal to re-seal it. This may or may not work, but it may slow the leak.